Report: China's world heritage sites thriving

China's world natural heritage sites are all in good condition, with their ecological value contributing economically to local communities, according to an assessment report.

The report on the country's world natural heritage conservation and development from 1985 to 2025 was unveiled on Friday by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

China joined the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985. The country currently hosts 15 of the world's 176 natural heritage sites and four of the world's 25 sites recognized for both cultural and natural features, leading the world in both categories.

These sites cover about 80,000 square kilometers across 20 provincial regions, encompassing diverse ecosystems, including mountains, forests, grasslands, lakes, wetlands, deserts, and coastal zones.

The report revealed that there have been no instances of severe human-caused damage to these sites, nor has any threat to their outstanding value been identified.

At a news conference on Friday, Liu Jiaqi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the report found that China, by fully leveraging its protected areas system, has achieved notable results, especially in areas like institutional and regulatory development, heritage value presentation, and public awareness enhancement.

He also highlighted the distinctive governance models China has developed, including the integration of nature and culture, regionally coordinated management, sustainable tourism development, and community co-governance and shared development.

The positive trend reflected in the report is supported by international evaluations, said Yuan Jiming, director of the administration's nature reserve management department, at the news conference.

The four editions of the World Heritage Outlook, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature between 2014 and 2025, show that China's natural and mixed heritage sites consistently outperform global averages in conservation, Yuan said.

In addition to strict protection, China has actively explored ways to translate the ecological value of these sites into sustainable benefits for local communities.

"For years, we have been developing eco-cultural tourism, nature education, study tours, and under-forest non-timber economies, all under the premise of sound protection," Yuan said.

This approach has allowed China to chart a course for the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, where conservation and development progress together, he added.

Yuan stressed that these efforts have delivered significant socioeconomic benefits.

Notably, over 90 percent of heritage sites prioritize employing local residents in preservation roles, while tourism has become a pillar industry in many regions, he said. In sites such as Jiuzhaigou, Huangshan Mountain, and Wulingyuan, tourism-related revenue accounts for more than 50 percent of the local GDP.

In 2024, the 15 world natural heritage sites and four mixed heritage sites attracted more than 180 million tourist visits, generating approximately 184.3 billion yuan ($26.6 billion) in consumption, cementing tourism as a key industry for local economies.

Yuan pledged the administration's continued commitment to enhancing the protection and sustainable use of these heritage sites.

The administration will uphold their public interest nature through a strategy centered on ecological conservation and green development, thereby facilitating their rational use, he said.

A central priority, Yuan said, will be to leverage these resources to build a higher-quality and more diversified ecological product system, better meeting people's aspirations for a better life and advancing regional economic, social, and cultural progress.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn